He is described as a small man (about 5'3, 120 pounds) with a wild shock of black hair, which gives him a persistent look of surprise. As a medical examiner, he is typically dressed in blue scrubs, with fluffy bunny slippers.[2] He wears Tom Cruise sunglasses.[3]

Butters is Jewish, and, by Dead Beat, is 37. He likes to listen to polka music, generally so loud that it can be heard down the hall.[1] Practicing for a polka contest, he has a suit fitted with a big bass drum on his back and smaller ones on the side.[3]

He drives an old Plymouth Road Runner with the licence plates: “MeepMeep”.[4]. When he is asked why the "four-eyed guy kept getting watch", Daniel gives him the radio-handle “Eyes”, which stuck.[5][6] Around this time he has started dating Andi the Alpha. He ultimately becomes a Knight of the Cross.[7]

Waldo Butters

Waldo Butters is "cursed with a sense of honesty, a measure of integrity, and enough moral courage to make him act on it.",[3] so much so that he occasionally stands up to Harry, who sees that he’s a man of principle, who went right to the wall for the truth.[8] He seems perfectly content to hide, being ill-equipped to defend himself against the threats of necromancers, earning him a reputation of cowardice. However, he has hidden nerve and brains and, when needed, helps Harry in unexpected ways.[9] He acts as a physical therapist and friend to Harry.[3][10], and gives Harry a guitar to practice on for physical therapy, prompting the other to comment that "for a mortician, he's a pretty good healer."[10]

Harry Dresden taught him how to make a Circle of Power with chalk and a drop of his own blood to protect himself from supernatural threats.[11] Though he has no magical talent, Bob says Butters is very smart and really good with magical theory. From Dresden's notes, Waldo designed a magical instrument that allows mortals to see and hear ghosts.[6]

Butters was responsible for examining the corpses remaining after the destruction of Bianca's estate. His assessment that they were 'human-like, but definitely not human' resulted in his being institutionalized, and his eventual demotion.(reference needed)

in Death Masks, in his first appearance, Butters examines a headless body and shows it to Karrin Murphy and Harry Dresden helping with a supernatural investigation at the Forensic Institute. The corpse died of multiple plagues and has a tattoo in the shape of a symbolic open eye under his arm.[1] Bob identified the eye symbol as the Eye of Thoth[12] Later, he called Harry to tell him that the germs disappeared from the plague ridden corpse and the samples.[13]

In Dead Beat, Butters comes up with a theory about why wizards live so long, why they affect electronics, and aspects of Harry's anatomy that make him special. He believes that with wizards, at least with Harry, the damage they sustain to bone and cells completely heal with time. With regular humans, the damage is cumulative, with Wizards, it's not cumulative. That means, according to Butters, that Harry's wizard ability to heal will eventually heal his badly burned hand.[3]

While Harry was there, two necromancers, Grevane and Quintus Cassius, come to his office with zombies planning to abduct him. This was while Harry Dresden was there on a case. Harry helps Butters escape. Then Butters demands that Harry explain things, and Harry finally relents, telling him about the world of magic.[1]

Throughout Dead Beat, Harry protects Butters from the necromancers hiding him behind his Wards at his apartment. One day, Grevane leads an army of zombies in an assault on Harry's appartment. While Harry and Thomas plot an escape, Harry boosts up Butter's courage by giving him a rally cry: "Polka will never die!". Then, some zombies get Butters through a window. Harry trades the info on the jump drive for Butters.[14]

Butters aids Harry in cool techy ways, like finding The Word of Kemmler using a GPS box. And, in unexpected brave ways like saving Harry's life when Cassius was torturing him and about to kill him at the Field Museum of Natural History. Butters assists Harry Dresden by acting as the drummer for the necro-summoning of Sue the dinosaur at the Field Museum.[15]

In Turn Coat, Butters bandages up Donald Morgan's badly wounded leg.[17] Harry brings Butters over to William Borden's for Game night—they're short one after Kirby's death by Shagnasty. There he meets the Alphas, which all seem happy to include him. He knows a lot about gaming so he brings a lot of skill with him.[18]

In Changes, Molly Carpenter calls him over to Saint Mary of the Angels when Harry breaks his back. He ends up trying to revive Harry Dresden with a defibrillator after his heart stops. A hit man, Stevie D then plants two rounds into his back.[19] Butters survives because prior to coming over, he put on a Kevlar vest under his scrubs because of Harry's track record with trouble. He was also carrying garlic, salt and a piece of chalk for making circles.[20]

In Skin Game, Butters has become sort of a "Batman". Butters has made a number of gadgets inspired from Harry Dresden's past attempts at creating new magical instruments. Butters has done small good deeds, including rescuing some children. At the end of the book, Butters grabs the broken hilt of Fidelacchius, and the hilt grows a blade made entirely of light.[29] Butters has made plans to stay as a Knight of the Cross and train with Charity and Michael.[30]

Butters: “Is there a book or CliffsNotes to this stuff?”Harry: “No, just me.”[13]

Butters: “Screw up my life? I’m a five-foot-three, thirty-seven year-old, Jewish medical examiner who needs to pick up his lederhosen from the dry cleaners so that he can play in a one-man polka band at Oktoberfest tomorrow. Do your worst.”[1]